Before I Die
by Forever-Diamonds
Summary: When going to rescue Caroline, tragedy strikes, leaving Elena heartbroken and about to lose the man she loves. How much time do they have left to be together before he dies?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**A/N: I was in a mood the other day and this came into my head. It sort of stemmed from my frustration at the writers for the distinct lack of Delena at the moment, and my annoyance about them being kept apart. I warn you, this will not be a particularly happy fic, but I would appreciate it if you read it anyway. Oh and btw, this is set during the end of 2x13, except with a few minor changes. It is a full moon that night, and Andie does NOT exist. I dislike her immensely. So, after that ramble, on with the show.**

Damon was lounging on the sofa in the Boarding House, holding his customary glass of scotch, when Stefan sped into the living room holding Tyler by the arm. The youngest Salvatore stopped in front of his brother, panting slightly, with a worried and desperate look in his eyes.

Damon looked up nonchalantly and raised an eyebrow. "Well what's gotten _your_ panties in a bunch?" He paused for dramatic effect before raising a finger. "Oh, wait; don't tell me, the squirrel population of Mystic Falls has finally run out!" He gasped. "_Whatever shall we do_?"

Stefan glared at him. "This is no time for jokes, Damon. It's the werewolves. They have Caroline."

At this, Damon sat up very straight in his seat. He had come to like Caroline, in fact the blonde and bubbly vampire was actually quite good company. Her wit made a welcome change from Stefan's constant brooding and soul-searching. Also, he felt slightly responsible for her, seeing as he was the one who fed her blood, which caused her to turn. Now, she was almost like a little sister to him. Not that he would ever admit that, of course.

Damon glanced up at Stefan. "Why is the mutt here?" He gestured to Tyler.

Stefan frowned. "They want him, in exchange for Caroline. They threatened to _kill_ her, Damon."

Damon matched his brother's facial expression, and then got up off the sofa. "Well then we go and get her now. I mean, how hard can it be to kill a couple of mangy dogs?" Tyler hissed at him but the raven-haired vampire ignored him.

Stefan's frown only deepened. "There is a small problem with that. It's a full moon." Stefan closed his eyes, waiting for the full impact of his statement to register with Damon.

The eldest Salvatore drew in a breath through his teeth. He scowled at no one in particular, and then paused to think. After a minute or so he shot a determined glance at Stefan. "No matter. We can still take 'em. We'll just have to be careful, is all."

Stefan looked worried. "Are you sure? I mean with what happened to Rose..." He was interrupted by the sound of smashing glass.

Damon had thrown his tumbler at the wall. "I know what happened to Rose!" he yelled, throwing his leather-clad arms wide. Then he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, as his face visibly relaxed and settled into the calm, sarcastic mask Stefan was so used to. Damon smirked at his brother. "Don't worry, Stefan. I'm not an idiot. I'm not gonna deliberately stick my hand in their mouths. Besides, I don't think they'll be able to do me much harm with their heads ripped off." With that, he gave a chilling, predatory smile, and sauntered towards the front door, tossing a: "You coming, kids?" over his shoulder.

Stefan didn't move. "Damon."

Damon spun around. "_What_?"

Stefan sighed. "Be careful, okay."

Something unidentifiable flitted across Damon's face. He gave a sincere nod. "You too, brother."

With that, the two brothers made their way towards the exit, dragging a clearly uncomfortable Tyler along with them.

ooo

A few minutes later, Stefan walked warily into the clearing where the werewolves were camping, still latched on to Tyler's arm. He glanced around, searching for any signs of life in the SUV. Then Jules stepped out of the shadows. She smiled cruelly. "Hello, Stefan."

Before Stefan had a chance to reply, Damon was at his side. He returned Jules' smile. "Jules! How _wonderful_ to see you again! Now, as much as I would like to stay and gossip until the sun comes up, there's a bottle of scotch with my name on it waiting for me at home. So let's be brief." He smiled condescendingly. "How may I help you?"

The werewolf glared. "Give us Tyler."

Damon crossed his arms defiantly. "Give us Caroline."

Jules growled. "_Give_ _us Tyler_."

Damon smirked. "Seems we're at a bit of an impasse."

Stefan interjected quickly before things got violent. "Jules, you and your friends need to leave town."

The blonde frowned. "Not until you give us Tyler."

Damon was still smirking. "You heard her, go." He pushed Tyler towards Jules. "_Good doggy_!"

The she-wolf growled again. "Don't test my patience, _vampire_."

Damon rolled his ice-blue eyes. "Wouldn't dream of it, _dog-breath_."

Jules scoffed. "The moon's coming up soon; you'd better watch your back."

The eldest Salvatore rolled his eyes again. "We could take you. It wouldn't even be a fair fight."

"Think again, tough guy." Jules wolf-whistled. Immediately, two tall, muscular guys appeared on either side of the Salvatore brothers. One of them, named Brady, pointed at the two vampires in front of him. "Which one of you killed Mason?"

Damon raised a hand. "Uh, that would be me."

Brady snarled. "Make sure that one suffers."

Damon gave a wry, pained smirk. He chuckled sarcastically. "You have _no _idea how much I've already suffered."

Before anyone else could say anything, Tyler, Jules and her two henchmen dropped to the ground screaming and clutching their heads. Within a few minutes the Salvatores were surrounded by four huge, snarling wolves. The smallest one, who was obviously Tyler, sniffed the air for a second, before yipping shrilly and darting off into the woods, drawing the pack's attention. This was just the distraction the vampires needed. With a snarl, Damon rushed at Jules, his fist colliding repeatedly with her muzzle, cracking the jaw and drawing blood. He continued his brutal assault for some minutes before the she-wolf howled in pain and scampered off after Tyler, trailing blood along the forest floor.

Satisfied with his accomplishment, Damon turned around only for his expression to darken at the sight before him. Stefan was grappling with the smaller of the two remaining wolves, whilst unbeknown to him; the wolf that was Brady crept silently up behind him. Just as the beast was about to pounce, Damon barrelled into its side with all his strength, sending both supernatural creatures flying into the trees beyond. This provided an ideal diversion for Stefan, as the wolf he had been battling snapped its head up at the crash, giving the youngest Salvatore the opportunity to snap its thick neck. Werewolf dispatched, he turned his eyes towards the pile of broken trees where his brother and opponent had landed.

Damon was the first one on his feet. Grabbing a broken branch off the floor, he raised his arm, intending to stab the wolf through the heart, but the animal surprised him by leaping up and running at him. In seconds, Brady had Damon pinned to the ground, the vampire's supernatural strength the only thing between him and the wolf's huge, slavering jaws. For a moment, Stefan thought that it was all over. That the wolf would bite down and his brother would be dead. For real this time. But then there was a blur of movement and Damon was sitting on top of the wolf with its head in his hands, and he twisted hard and the wolf fell limply beneath him.

Smirking, Damon climbed off the creature's corpse and turned to Stefan. His voice was cocky and sarcastic as always. "Go and get Vampire Barbie, I'll clean up this hairy mess." He gestured to the bloodied wolves lying dead by his feet.

Stefan shook his head and sighed, but didn't argue as he disappeared into the SUV to find Caroline. When Damon was sure his brother was gone, he pulled up the left sleeve of his shirt and looked intently at the now exposed skin. What he saw there made his blood run cold.

There was a bite mark on his arm.

**A/N: How did I do? I'm not that good at writing action, so please let me know if it was okay or not. Seriously, I rewrote this about 5 times to get it just right, and I'm still unsure. Anyone OOC? Was it funny? Exciting? Please let me know how I did. Reviews really make my day, and I would really appreciate it if you took a minute of your time to drop me a line. Go on, press that little magic button. You know you want to :) Please R&R**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**A/N: I was overwhelmed with the response to the last chapter. Seriously, I woke up to about 20-odd alerts/favourites. It was awesome. I just want to thank everyone who did that, and also encourage people to review. It means a lot to me to hear from my readers. Even if it is just to say hi. So anyway, on with the story.**

Damon just stared unblinkingly at his forearm. His mind was awash with thoughts, none of them pleasant, and he couldn't help the overwhelming sense of fear and dread that crept through his body like some kind of deadly plague. This was it. After 170 years of existence, his non-life was to be brought to an end by a little bite. There was no cure; the mounds of ancient, dusty tomes he'd read and reread during the weeks preceding Rose's demise told him that. He would have to watch; painstakingly, agonizingly, as his life wasted away before his eyes. He hadn't thought he'd be afraid, when this day came. Death had always been a possibility, somewhere along the line, because, let's face it, no one lives forever. But he'd always managed to quell those dark thoughts and push them to the recesses of his mind. In fact, at times, death had seemed an almost pleasant alternative to the hell he had been forced to endure. And now, staring him right in the face, it was the most terrifying thing he had ever experienced. This was it.

_He was going to die_.

The sound of the SUV door opening pulled him out of his sombre reverie. Rolling down his shirt sleeve again, he used his supernatural speed to dispose of the wolves' bodies, and materialised before Stefan and Caroline, his ever-present smirk firmly plastered on his face. He raised a half-concerned, half-sarcastic eyebrow at the pair of vampires in front of him. "You ok? You ready to go?"

Caroline silently nodded, although her eyes betrayed her. They were hollow, empty and afraid. So...void of life that it almost scared Damon to look at her. Almost. He was a vampire. He didn't get scared. Until about five minutes ago, anyway.

Stefan sighed. "I'm fine, but Caroline was injured pretty badly. They shot her with wooden bullets and tiny wooden vervain darts." The blonde visibly flinched at the memory. "Wherever they come from, they obviously have experience in fighting vampires. We should come back later, just in case there are any more of them." Damon nodded tiredly. He wasn't in the mood to deal with more wolves now. Although he'd happily rip Jules' head off next time he saw her. Oblivious to his brother's discomfort, Stefan continued. "Are _you _okay, Damon?"

Again, the eldest Salvatore nodded. "I'm fine." _I was just bitten by a werewolf and I'm going to die in a couple of months. Do you really think I'm okay?_

Stefan matched his brother's gesture. "Good. We should get going then. Elena and Alaric are waiting for us at the Boarding House."

ooo

Soon after leaving the clearing, Damon, Stefan and Caroline entered the Salvatore Boarding House. Almost instantly, Elena rushed up to them, her face a picture of concern. She looked them all over once carefully before asking, "Are you all okay?"

Damon was too distracted by his imminent death to answer with the expected sarcastic remark, so he replied with a nod and made his way into the living room, where he headed straight for the liquor cart and poured himself a large glass of scotch. He could hear Elena fussing over Stefan and Caroline like a mother hen, inspecting all of their already healing injuries, and asking "Are you sure you're okay?" every five seconds. _She would make a good mother_, he mused idly, sipping the amber liquid from his crystal tumbler. Pity that Stefan would never be able to give that to her.

He heard approaching footsteps and glanced up to see Alaric entering the spacious living room. The raven-haired vampire stared at the teacher for a few seconds before picking up the decanter of scotch and waving it in Alaric's face. "Drink?" he enquired.

Alaric nodded, and Damon silently handed over a full tumbler to him. Alaric opened his mouth as if to say something, but was interrupted by Stefan, Caroline and Elena coming into the living room to join them. The brunette sat down on the large sofa. "What happened to you out there?"

Damon tuned out completely as Stefan and Caroline began to recount the events of the night, pausing every so often to answer one of Elena or Alaric's questions. This allowed his mind to drift to darker matters. Not even the scotch seemed to be helping to clear his mind of the thought that had been constantly floating around in his head ever since he had discovered the bite mark: _You're going to die_. For a moment, the vampire actually considered telling everyone about it, so that they could try and help, and maybe find a cure... _Don't be stupid, Damon_, he chided himself mentally. _You heard Isobel's assistant. There is no cure. You're going to die soon. Get over it. Besides, what would telling them achieve? _he asked himself. _It's not like anyone will care. It'll just give them a reason to go and pat Jules on her furry little head._ No, telling them was definitely out of the question. He'd just pretend everything was fine, and then pack a bag and get the hell out of Mystic Falls. That way, everyone would just think he left without saying goodbye. They thought badly enough of him to believe it.

Alaric's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Can I speak to Damon for a second? _Alone_?" The teacher stressed the word _alone_, telling the two other vampires in the room to get out of hearing range. Whatever he had to say was clearly very private. Stefan muttered something about taking Elena and Caroline home, and the three of them made their way out, not before shooting quizzical glances at Alaric, who stood expressionlessly by the door.

When he was sure that they were gone, Damon turned to Alaric. "So, _Ric_, what can I do for you?"

Alaric didn't mince words. "You got bitten, didn't you?"

Damon had the decency to look surprised. He seriously considered lying to Alaric but thought the better of it upon seeing his determined face. He merely nodded. "How did you know?"

Alaric sighed. "You said nothing all evening, not a single sarcastic remark. And you looked...troubled. So I guessed. Unfortunately, I was right."

Damon barked a laugh. "_Unfortunately_? Ric, the whole _town_ will be out dancing on my grave when I'm..." He swallowed thickly. "...gone."

Alaric shook his head. "You underestimate how much people care about you, Damon." Seeing the dubious look in the vampire's eyes, he sighed again, and continued. "So, when are you going to tell the others?"

Before he could even blink, Damon had him by the throat and against the wall. His eyes were dark, almost murderous. "_No. _They are _not _going to find out, because I will not tell them, and _neither will you_. You got that?" With a sigh, he released Alaric and stepped away, shaking his head. "No, I'll just leave in a few weeks, make them think I disappeared. Seeing as my reputation for being a cold, heartless monster precedes me, I'm sure they won't have any trouble believing that. It's better that way."

Alaric raised an eyebrow. "How is lying to them better than anything? You _have_ to tell them, so that they can..."

Damon cut him off. "So that they can _what_? Nurse me, look after me, spoon feed me endless bull about how I'm gonna be okay? _Pity _me? I don't want their pity, especially seeing as it will all be fake anyway."

Alaric scoffed. "Why do you always just assume that people hate you and think the worst of you?"

Damon rolled his ice-blue eyes and turned to leave, tossing, "Because it's the truth, Ric." over his shoulder. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he spun around. His tone, although light, was filled with menace. "Do _not _tell _anyone_ about this. Or I will _end _you." He smirked at Alaric. "I take it you can show yourself out." With that, he disappeared up the stairs, leaving Alaric alone in the now empty living room. Closing his eyes briefly, the teacher sighed and made his way out of the Boarding House.

This was going to be a long, difficult couple of months.

**A/N: So that was Chapter 2! Thoughts? Feelings? Improvements? Anyone OOC? Please let me know how I've done, I would REALLY, REALLY appreciate it. Okay, so these never work, but:**

**Review challenge/task:**

**Who is your favourite TVD character and why? Doesn't have to be a long answer, 7-8 sentences max.**

**Please do this. If not, Damon will find you, and come and eat you. Be afraid ;D**

**Pretty Please with some Damon on top review! R&R!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**A/N: Here is Chapter 3! I am still overwhelmed with the response to this story. I never thought that this many people would read it, let alone review/alert/favourite. Thank you sooo much to everyone who has taken the time to read my little fic, it really means a lot. I apologise for being slightly MIA for the past week or so, writer's block does that to you. Please R&R and check out the polls on my user. R&R!**

Stefan walked into the Boarding House living room, and found Damon sitting on the sofa, leafing through some thick, dusty books. The eldest Salvatore greeted his brother without looking up.

"Morning Stefan."

Stefan said nothing for a few seconds, simply standing motionlessly by the door, an eyebrow raised in confusion before he asked, "What are you doing?"

Damon turned around and rolled his eyes. "I'm playing tennis, what does it _look_ like I'm doing?" He smirked slightly, then sighed and continued. "Just looking through some of my old photos."

Stefan was even more confused. "Photos, why?"

Damon gave a noncommittal shrug. "What can I say, I felt like taking a trip down memory lane."

Stefan frowned. "Yes but where did you even get them from?"

Damon stared at his brother for a few seconds, his expression unreadable. Then, "I found them by accident in one of the spare rooms." He turned back to his photo albums.

Stefan had a feeling that there was more to it than Damon was letting on, but he decided not to pry. Instead, he made his way over to the sofa and sat down beside the raven haired vampire. Neither said anything, merely sitting in companionable silence whilst Damon leafed slowly through the dusty tome that housed so many memories. There were photos of them as children, playing in the long grass outside the old Salvatore house; as teenagers, swimming in the Falls; and of them in the months preceding Katherine's arrival, at a time when the Salvatore brothers were still best friends.

Suddenly, a particular photo caught the youngest Salvatore's eye. He pointed to it. "You kept that?"

Damon nodded slowly. "It...it's...it means a lot."

The brothers stared at the photo, both reliving the memory it held. In the photo, Damon had his arm around Stefan's shoulder. Both brothers were smiling genuine smiles and looked happy. It had been one of the few times during their long, cursed existences that the brothers had been friends for more than a few days. It was a simple image, but the memory that came with it was important.

They carried on in silence, someone occasionally pausing to turn the page or replace a photo that had slipped out of the album. No words were necessary; the brothers were immersed in the memories that the album held, and Damon could not help the wave of nostalgia that swept over him as he looked at the pictures of his past. Shaking it off, he snapped the book shut, causing a cloud of dust to mushroom into the air, and threw it on one of the end tables beside the sofa.

He got to his feet. "That's it, reminiscing over."

The eldest Salvatore was on his way out when Stefan stopped him. "Why?"

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Why _what_? I'm not a mind reader Stefan, and I won't be able to answer your question if I don't know what you're asking."

Stefan frowned. "Why now? You've never been interested in looking for your old photo albums before, so why have you suddenly started now?"

Damon raised the other eyebrow. "Who says I was looking for them? I told you, I found them by accident. And anyway, why must everything I do have some kind of ulterior motive? Is your opinion of me _that_ low that you think that there must be some sort of personal benefit from everything that I do? You insult me, Stefan." With that, he turned on his heel and made his way towards the stairs.

"No, Damon, wait, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." When his apology elicited no response from Damon, Stefan sped after his brother and grabbed his arm, involuntarily pressing his fingers into the wolf bite. Damon could not stop the hiss of pain that escaped his lips. Stefan raised a quizzical eyebrow and, before Damon could protest, pushed up his brother's shirt sleeve, exposing the already growing wound on Damon's left forearm.

The youngest Salvatore stared at the bite mark for a minute before giving a resigned sigh. "You got bitten."

Damon simply nodded. Stefan sighed again. "Who else knows?"

Damon frowned slightly. "Just you and Ric. And it's going to stay that way. You are _not_ going to tell anybody else, understand?"

Stefan matched his brother's facial expression. "What? Why? They could try and help you, maybe find a cu-"

Damon cut him off. "There. Is. No. Cure. What part of that don't you get? We can't have you all running around trying to save my worthless life while Klaus is still out there and could be in Mystic Falls at any moment. Besides, I don't need their false pity and fake tears. My existence had been depressing enough as it is."

He turned to leave again, but Stefan called out to him. "So what, you're just gonna lie to them? At least tell Elena, she ca-"

He was cut off by Damon's hand around his neck. The eldest Salvatore hissed at his brother. "_No_. You will not tell _anyone_, especially not Elena, or I will make you regret it. Don't forget, brother, that I'm a lot stronger than you, even with this..._injury_."

With that, Damon released Stefan and walked up the stairs. At the top, he paused and looked at his brother over his shoulder. "You know Stefan; I didn't come back to Mystic Falls for Katherine. I came back for you."

**A/N: So, how was it? I'm not sure about this chapter if I'm honest, so please share your thoughts/suggestions/requests with me. I will take everything you say into consideration. Who spotted the stolen line from Grey's Anatomy? Special mention will be given in the next chapter to anyone who correctly identifies it and leaves it in a review. Oh and also please check out the poll on my profile. Please review, it means a lot. R&R!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**A/N: So sorry for the lack of updates you guys, writer's block and school kinda got in the way. How awesome was 'The Last Day'? I was sobbing like a baby, and I have a feeling that the finale will be epic! I'm sorry I've been neglecting you guys, I know, I'm a terrible person, but I will try to make it up to you with this update. Please R&R!**

Elena was frustrated. Damon had been ignoring her calls and texts for three days now, all of which said much the same thing: _Where are you?_ It seemed that every time she was at the Boarding House, he wasn't; and he never seemed to be at the Grill anymore. To be honest, Elena was more than a little worried. She knew Damon had a tendency to do crazy and stupid things sometimes, and she just hoped he wasn't lying dead in a ditch somewhere after pissing off a stronger vampire. That was why she was here, on a Saturday afternoon, having cancelled a girl's day out with Bonnie and Caroline to look for her boyfriend's brother.

Switching off the ignition in her car, she got out and marched into the Boarding House. The ground floor of the old building seemed deserted, so Elena decided to try Damon's room, in the hope that he might be there. Just as she was making her way up the stairs, Stefan appeared out of the kitchen with a worried look on his face. "Uh, Elena, where are you going?"

Elena turned to face him, confusion evident on her face. "Upstairs, why? Damon hasn't been replying to any of my calls, and I just want to make sure he's okay." She paused for a second. "Actually, do you know where he is?"

Stefan bit his lip. This was exactly the question that he had been hoping she wouldn't ask. "He's uh...I uh...I have uh...no uh...clue. But he's...definitely not upstairs."

Elena's frown deepened. "Stefan what's going on? What aren't you telling me? Did Damon do something?"

Stefan shook his head. "No, he didn't do anything. I have no idea where he is, but I can't let you go upstairs."

Elena scoffed. "Why Stefan? Are you setting boundaries for me now? Is that it? Are you making rules about where I can and can't go? Are you so paranoid that Klaus is going to come and get me that you aren't gonna let me out of your sight for the rest of my life?"

"Elena...I...no-" Stefan protested.

Elena put her hands on her hips. "Then what?" Then a thought hit her. "Wait a minute...this is about Damon, isn't it? You're worried because I'm friends with him, so you're trying to keep me away from him."

Stefan sighed. "No Elena, it isn't Damon either."

Elena scoffed once again. "Then can you think of one good reason why I shouldn't be allowed to go upstairs?" When he said nothing, she nodded decisively. "That's what I thought." With that, she turned on her heel and stormed up the stairs.

ooo

When she reached the door outside Damon's room, Elena paused and put her ear to the door. She could hear water running. Damon was definitely here. Just as she was about to open the door, a thought stuck her: Damon might be in the shower. _So what? _she thought. _I'll just wait for him_. Sighing, she twisted the doorknob and pushed the mahogany door open, revealing a shirtless Damon standing in the centre of his room, his hand poised above the belt buckle of his trousers.

But his half naked state was not what caught Elena's attention. Instead, her eyes were fixed on the large purple wound on Damon's left forearm. The eldest Salvatore's eyes snapped up in shock; he hadn't even heard her coming. He half turned away from the door, so she couldn't see his arm, but it was too late. The damage had already been done. In three swift strides Elena was at his side, examining the small bite mark and the wound surrounding it. Neither said anything, until at last Elena looked up at him, brown eyes meeting ice blue ones, and asked the question she already knew the answer to. "Damon what is this?"

The raven-haired vampire sighed, and pursed his lips. "It's a werewolf bite."

Elena's world shattered. Suddenly her mind was awash with thoughts, none of them pleasant. She thought of graveyards, and graves, and her parents, and Anna and Vicky and everyone else who had ever died in this seemingly cursed town. But out of all her thoughts, one seemed to swirl to the surface:

_Damon's going to die_.

Shaking her head, she released his arm. "No, no, no, no. No. No! NO! This can't be happening. This _isn't_ happening. This isn't real. It's a joke, right? This is all a joke, and...and it's really funny. And this is a tattoo sleeve, right? It's...it's a tattoo sleeve-"

Damon reached up to cup her face in his hands. It hurt like hell but he didn't care. He cut her off. "_Elena_." Her ramblings stopped and she looked up at him again. He sighed. "It's not a tattoo sleeve, and it isn't a joke. This is real."

She shook her head. "But you can't die. You're not supposed to die. You're supposed to always be there for me." Tears started to run down her face. "You're supposed to always be there for me. I can't lose you. I just..._can't_."

Damon stroked her cheek. "Hey, hey. Don't worry. It's gonna be okay. I've been dead before, you know. I got over it."

Elena's eyes widened at this. Angrily, she wiped the tears from her face. "How can you be calm about this? How can you _joke_ about this? This isn't _funny_. And also, when were you planning on telling me about this?"

Damon let go of her face and walked to his bed. "I...wasn't."

Elena opened her mouth in shock. "What? _Why_? How could you keep something like this from me?"

Damon gestured at her. "Well given the way you're reacting right now, can you really blame me for that?"

Elena gasped. "What? How can you even say that? I just found out that my friend is going to _die_. What do you expect me to do? Laugh? Do a _victory dance_? Of course I'm reacting like this. I'm upset. I'm worried about you. I feel sorry for y-"

"I DON'T WANT YOUR PITY!" Damon roared. "I don't need you by my side, spoon feeding me and holding my hand like I'm some sort of helpless little child, when you and I both know that the minute _this,_" he gestured to the bite, "is over, you'll go running straight back to your _precious _Saint Stefan as if nothing ever happened."

Elena scoffed. "Is that what you really think?"

He fixed his ice blue eyes on her. "That's what I _know_. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go and shower. So run along back to your _boyfriend_ and leave me the hell alone."

Elena glared at him. "Fine. Just don't expect any sympathy from me later."

Damon matched her expression. "Wasn't counting on it." With that, he turned away from her and sauntered into his en-suite, disappearing from her view behind a wall.

Huffing in frustration and indignation, and fighting back tears, Elena began to make her way towards the door of the room, when Damon's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Elena."

Had the circumstances been any different, Elena would probably have kept walking. But Damon sounded so lost, and so broken, that she found herself turning back, and following him into his bathroom. The sight that met her eyes left her speechless.

Damon stood in the shower, the water cascading down him in rivulets, with a broken look in his eyes. He looked up at her as she entered. "My arm...it hurts...I can't...please help me."

It might have been the way he said it, or the way he looked at her, like a lost little boy on the verge of tears, that roused emotions deep inside her, and so she slowly began to pull of her jeans and T-shirt, until she was left in just her camisole and underwear. Slowly, she stepped into the shower, trying not to slip on the marble floor. Somehow, the fact that he was completely naked didn't seem to bother Elena, and she just reached wordlessly for his shampoo.

She washed his hair, gently massaging his scalp and running her small fingers through his dark hair. Then she moved on to his body, cleaning his back, chest and arms, taking extra care to avoid his injury. And when she had finished, she stepped into the shower and wrapped her small arms around him and hugged him, like she had when they had first opened the tomb, and when Rose had died. And slowly, she felt his strong arms encircle her, and somehow all of her fears melted away, and she didn't care that her underwear was getting soaked, and they just stood there, holding each other as if nothing else in the world mattered. Because at that moment, nothing else did. There were no lies, no death threats, no maniacal doppelgangers, no evil Originals lurking in the shadows, no Stefan. They were just Damon and Elena, and this was their moment, and it was beautiful.

But all too soon the moment ended, and as he pulled back from her embrace and stepped out of the shower, Elena couldn't help but feel as if a little piece of her heart had been pulled away as well. So it was with a wistful and slightly sad expression that she turned off the water and accepted the towel that Damon was offering her. As she dried herself, she felt as though she were drying off their moment, and so she stopped and pulled on her jeans and shirt, even though she was getting them wet, and sat on Damon's bed.

When he had finished getting dressed, the eldest Salvatore came and sat beside her, sighing heavily. He shifted awkwardly and cleared his throat. "Thank you."

He smiled at her then, a genuine smile, and Elena had no choice but to smile back. "You're welcome."

He paused for a second. Then, "I didn't mean it, you know, what I said. I was angry and-"

She cut him off. "Apology accepted." He didn't reply, and the pair just sat in silence for a minute, until the tension became unbearable. Elena sighed. "So, when are you going to tell everybody else about..." She gestured to his arm.

Damon shrugged and frowned. "Do they really need to know?"

Elena nodded. "Yes, Damon, they do." Seeing his doubtful expression, she continued. "People care about you in this town. I know you think that everyone hates you but they don't. You're not a bad person, Damon. You need to stop underestimating how much you mean to people. _To me_." As she said this, she laced her fingers through his in a silent declaration of friendship and care.

Damon was speechless. Never in his entire time as a vampire had anyone ever cared about him in this way. This girl was amazing. She had given him his humanity back, had fixed his messed up, broken heart. She had made him feel again. She had brought him back to life. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "Promise me that you'll move on from this. That you won't spend the rest of your life mourning me. That you'll find a way to be happy again."

She looked up at him. "How can you ask me to promise you that?"

He begged her with his eyes. "Just, _please_. I need to know that, after I'm gone, you'll be okay. _Please_, Elena."

She sighed. "I will try to be happy, and I will try to move on. But I will _never_ stop mourning you. Don't ask me to do that, because I can't."

He simply nodded, and pulled her into his arms again. For hours they just sat there in companionable silence, each one thinking about the other, and about how messed up the universe had become. No words were needed for they both knew, deep down, that they_ did _have something, and that it was magical, and special, and beautiful. And that it was more than just an understanding. But neither could think of any words to convey that message to the other. So they just sat there without speaking, revelling in their magic.

And this was how Stefan found them, hours later, holding onto each other as if the world would end if they let go. And he took one look at them and he knew. He knew about their _something_. He knew that Damon loved Elena, but that he fought it every day so that she could be happy with Stefan. And he knew that Elena loved Damon, but that she fought it every day because she didn't want to be Katherine, and break Stefan's heart. And when Elena disentangled herself from Damon's arms and made her way towards his room, Stefan knew that he had no chance against his brother. Because they were Damon and Elena, and they were _magical_.

**A/N: Wow that was long! I think that's my favourite chapter I've EVER written, for anything. If I'm honest, I cried a little when I wrote it. I am a die-hard Delena fan, and I think that their story and their journey truly is beautiful, and I hope to convey that as much as I can through my writing. Your feedback means a lot to me, so please take a few seconds of your precious time to review this. Please. R&R**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**A/N: Ok, so I'm supposed to be revising for a Chemistry exam right now, but then I had a moment of inspiration that had to be written down, so I decided to ignore the Chemistry and give you lovely people an update instead. Many thanks again for all your support, I really cherish and appreciate every single review/alert/favourite I get from you, so don't stop :) R&R**

Elena woke as the first rays of sun hit her face. Stefan had already left, having left her a note telling her he was going hunting. She sighed and stretched, and then smiled as she sat up. Today was going to be a good day. Then she remembered last night, and her face fell. _No it wasn't_. Today, they would have to break the news to everyone who didn't know. Damon was going to die. And there was nothing they could do to stop it.

Sighing again, Elena pulled on her still damp clothes and made her way down stairs. In a way, she liked that they were still slightly wet. It meant that, for a while, she had something more than just a memory of her and Damon's moment last night. _Not that it matters_, she thought bitterly to herself. _He's still going to die_. Shaking her head sharply, she chastised herself mentally for having such thoughts. _There's still hope_, she told herself. _There's always hope_. Although at the moment, she was having trouble finding any.

She entered the Boarding House kitchen to the delicious smell of food, and was astonished to see Damon standing at the cooker, flipping pancakes in a large frying pan. Elena blinked twice. Damon was _cooking_. Just as she was about to say something, he looked at her over his shoulder. "Ugh, finally, you're awake. You sleep like the dead." He smirked. "No pun intended."

Elena rolled her eyes and ignored him, instead settling for sitting down at one of the counters and glaring daggers at Damon's back. "Why are you cooking?"

He turned around fully this time, one eyebrow raised. "Because, Elena, I was trying to come up with a genius master plan to defeat Klaus, if the bastard ever shows up, and I thought: 'Hey! Why don't I make pancakes and then feed him to death?'"

Elena groaned. "Do you take _anything _seriously?"

Damon smirked and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "I take one thing _very_ seriously."

Almost growling, Elena reached into the fruit bowl, pulled out an apple and chucked it at the eldest Salvatore's head. Of course he caught it, thanks to his vampire reflexes, and then proceeded to take a huge bite out of it, his smirk ever-present on his face. Elena put her head in her hands and tried not to scream with frustration. After she had composed herself a little, she looked up at Damon again. "Why are you _really_ cooking?"

Damon sighed and rolled his eyes. "I figured you would be hungry when you woke up."

Elena smiled at him. "Thank you."

Damon shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, it was nothing." He set the steaming plate in front of her and handed her a fork, watching as she took a tentative bite of the pancake, before clearing his throat awkwardly. "So, um...about last night...I...um...I just wanted to say-"

Elena cut him off. "You're welcome." When she had finished eating, she set down her fork and looked up at Damon. "I'm gonna go call Caroline, Bonnie and Jeremy, and they're going to come over, and we're going to tell them about your..." she hesitated, "...bite."

Damon frowned. "Do they _really _need to know?"

Elena sighed. "We've been through this already. _Yes_."

Damon rolled his eyes. There was no point arguing with Elena over this. When she had her mind made up, it was impossible to change it. "Fine."

ooo

An hour later, Damon, Elena, Caroline, Jeremy, Bonnie, Stefan and Alaric were all assembled in the Boarding House living room. Elena was sat on the loveseat beside Stefan; Alaric was in the armchair; Bonnie, Caroline and Jeremy were on the sofa, and Damon was stood by the window, a bored expression on his face.

Elena twiddled her thumbs and glanced nervously at Damon. "So, there's...something we have to tell you."

Caroline gasped loudly. "Oh my god! You didn't have sex, _did you_?"

Elena widened her eyes in shock. "No, Caroline, we didn't! No, what we have to tell you is...is...is-"

"Oh for god's sakes!" Damon snapped, pushing up the sleeve of his black shirt, exposing his wound. He waved his arm around in the air, making sure everyone saw. "There. It's a werewolf bite. I got bitten. _Ta daa_."

Caroline gasped again, as did Jeremy. The youngest Gilbert stood up, a concerned expression on his face. He had come to respect Damon, despite the fact that the vampire had snapped his neck, and considered him to be a friend, although he would never admit that to anyone. "Are you okay, man?"

Damon cocked an eyebrow. "You mean other than the fact that every time I move it feels like I'm being repeatedly staked in the arm? Just peachy."

Elena looked at Bonnie plaintively. "Bonnie, is there nothing you can do?"

Bonnie stood up, her expression stoic. "There is no cure for a werewolf bite. And even if there was, I'm not sure I would want to help you find it. Maybe it's his time to die. If the werewolf hadn't gotten to him, I probably would have killed him myself."

Slap.

Everyone widened their eyes in astonishment as Elena cracked her palm across her best friend's cheek. She glared at Bonnie, her expression thunderous. "How can you even say that?"

Bonnie threw her arms wide. "He's a monster, Elena. He kills people. I know you think he's good but he's really not. He's evil."

Elena shook her head. "Not anymore. He's changed. He's better now. He doesn't kill people."

Bonnie frowned. "He will never change, Elena. No matter what you think you see in him, he will always be the same."

Elena scoffed. "But Caroline killed someone when she first turned, and you don't hate her, do you?"

At this, the witch hesitated, and Caroline widened her eyed. "Gee, thanks for your support, _friend_. And here I was thinking we were _close_. Well I'll never make _that_ mistake again." Bonnie shot Caroline a slightly apologetic look, but the blonde simply glowered at her, a hurt and betrayed look in her eyes.

Elena continued. "And Stefan killed people when he first turned, but you don't hate _him_."

Bonnie sighed. "That's because Stefan is _good_. He is kind, and he is capable of loving and having feelings. He actually cares about the people around him, and he tries to apologise when he makes any mistakes. He's the _right choice_, Elena. No wonder Katherine chose him instead of Damon."

Everyone gasped once again and their gazes snapped to Damon. The raven haired vampire straightened himself up. "That was cold, _witch_," he sneered, "even for you." With that, he was gone, and an uncomfortable silence settled over the group. The tension was almost unbearable.

"Get out." Elena spat

Bonnie raised a haughty eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Elena's glare intensified. "Get. Out. Now."

Bonnie was about to protest when Caroline walked over to stand by Elena. The blonde nodded and pointed towards the door. "Get out."

Bonnie scoffed. "You can't kick me out of this house."

"But I can." Stefan joined the two girls facing off with the witch. "They're right, Bonnie, I think you should leave."

Bonnie shrugged. "Fine. It's not like I want to be here anyway." She turned on her heel and stormed out of the door.

Elena raked a hand through her hair. "I have to go find him." She moved towards the door, but stopped when she felt Stefan's hand on her shoulder.

"Just leave him be for a while. He'll come back when he's ready."

ooo

The sun had already set when Elena found Damon in the Boarding House library. She paused in the doorway and watched as he sat watching the fire, a glass of scotch hanging from his finger tips. The flames cast flickering shadows on his face, bathing it in an amber glow, accentuating his cheekbones and making him look hauntingly beautiful.

Wordlessly, Elena padded over and sat down next to him on the sofa. She knew that he would speak when he was ready. Sighing, Damon raised the glass to his lips, and took a sip. Then, "Thank you, for what you said about me. It...I...thank you."

Elena nodded. "You're welcome."

The eldest Salvatore sighed again. "I'm sorry. For everything I've done to hurt you in the past." He turned to her then, his eyes imploring her to forgive him. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I need it."

Elena was about to answer when Damon cut her off. "I don't know how long I have left, Elena. It could be months, or weeks, or even a few days. I just need to know that you forgive me for all the terrible things that I've done, all the mistakes that I've made. I just...I just need your forgiveness. _Please_."

Tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, Elena grabbed his hand. "I forgive you, Damon. I forgave you a long time ago. And I promise that, no matter how long you have left, I will spend every single day right by your side like I am now."

Damon smiled at her, a rare, genuine smile that was reserved for her, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you."

Elena merely nodded, and the pair lapsed into silence once again, sitting side by side, watching the fire slowly fade.

**A/N: So, how was it? I'm not really sure about this chapter. It's a little bit more angsty than the rest. But don't worry, as much Delena cuteness and fluff coming up as possible! I apologise to any Bonnie fans, but she is just my least favourite character and I couldn't help it. Feedback is love people! R&R**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry I've been a while, guys. Exams and writer's block have been irritating me for the past two weeks. But then I was in the shower, and I was thinking about the Salvatore's Italian heritage and that they must speak Italian. This kind of grew from that. It's set on the day after the last chapter BTW. That means by the way ;) So, enjoy, and don't forget to R&R!**

It was four o'clock in the afternoon by the time Elena arrived at the Salvatore Boarding House. Stefan was out hunting again. He had been doing so more often lately, at least once a day, and Elena expected that his hunger had something, if not everything, to do with his brother's impending death. Truth be told, she welcomed the opportunity to speak to Damon alone. She was worried about him, especially after the incident with Bonnie the day before. _Bonnie_. Elena grimaced in distaste at the memory of her now ex-best friend's betrayal. She had honestly hoped that Bonnie would eventually overcome her fear of all things vampire-related.

Shaking the thoughts away, Elena called out to the eldest Salvatore. "Damon?"

"In here," came the muffled reply from the TV room.

Elena made her way into the small room. "Sorry I'm so late," she mumbled whilst pulling off her scarf. "Our english teacher made us all stay behind for half an hour because some idiots forgot to do an essay she set us." Noticing that Damon was in the middle of watching something, she asked, "What are you watching?"

Damon wordlessly handed her a DVD case. Elena read the cover. "'Life Is Beautiful'. I heard about this movie, Alaric recommended it during one of our lessons. I've never seen it though." She glanced back at the television and realised something. "It's in Italian."

Damon smirked, his gaze still fixed on the TV. "No shit, Sherlock."

Elena rolled her eyes but decided to ignore the jibe. Her frown deepened as she gestured to the screen. "But there aren't any subtitles."

Damon turned to her, eyebrow raised. "Who says I need subtitles?"

Elena frowned again. "You mean you can speak Italian?"

Damon nodded. "Mhmm. Fluently, along with Spanish and French."

Elena's eyes widened. "Really? I didn't know that."

Damon gave her a slightly condescending look. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Elena." He turned his attention back to the film.

She was about to reply with the expected indignant _'Don't look at me like that, it's not my fault you never talk about your life' _when Elena realised that he was right. She knew next to nothing about Damon, and most of the things she did know had been picked up accidentally whilst talking to Stefan. Her and Damon's conversation was never about him; their preferred topics being Stefan, something to argue about or how to deal with the latest supernatural drama in Mystic Falls. There was so much history, Elena realised, so much more to Damon Salvatore than met the eye. He was an enigma, a puzzle that nobody had ever solved. She thought she knew him well, but in fact she barely even knew him at all. She turned to him with a determined look on her face. "You're right."

He turned to her again, confused. "What?"

"You're right," Elena said. "There are a lot of things I don't know about you. In fact, I barely know anything about you _at all_. So tell me about you."

With a long-suffering sigh, Damon turned off the TV and faced Elena. He spread his hands wide. "Well, what do you want to know?"

Elena chewed on her lip, thinking. "Okay well, what's your middle name?"

"Alessandro."

"Really?"

Damon nodded. "Yep, after my uncle."

Elena smiled softly. "Damon Alessandro Salvatore." She looked thoughtful for a second. Then, "What's your favourite colour?"

"Blue," Damon responded. "Royal blue. Like the dress you wore to the Miss Mystic Falls pageant."

They both fell silent then, allowing the memory of the pageant and their dance to wash over them. Damon was the first to snap out of it. "So, what's yours?"

Elena snapped out of her trance. "Hmm? Oh, right, favourite colour, um...blue. But not royal blue. Really light blue. Like...um...like your eyes..."

Silence fell again. Elena was blushing profusely and fidgeting. This was getting awkward. Thankfully, Damon had the good sense to change the subject. "Favourite book?"

Elena breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the change of subject. "Pride and Prejudice," she answered almost immediately. Nervously playing with her hair, she continued. "It was my mom's favourite, so..."

Damon nodded in understanding. Elena then asked him about his favourite book, to which he replied, "Gone with the Wind."

Elena widened her eyes in astonishment. Then she realised she was staring, shook herself, and mumbled. "That's...a...it's a ...it's a good book," she finally managed, flushing scarlet yet again.

Damon arched a defensive eyebrow, and a mildly offended look flashed in his eyes, but he said nothing, instead changing the subject yet again. "Favourite movie?"

Elena considered this for a minute. Damon could almost see the cogs turning in her head. "Titanic," she answered after some deep thought.

Damon sighed theatrically and rolled his ice-blue eyes. "I knew it! I knew you would pick something girly and predictable like that. Ugh, you girls are _all _the same."

Elena slapped him playfully on the arm. "Well go on then, _Mr. Macho_, what's _your _favourite movie?"

Without missing a beat, Damon turned to her, his face serious, and answered, "Princess Diaries."

Elena scoffed loudly and rolled her eyes. "_Ha ha_ Damon, hilarious."

Damon's expression remained the same. "It's wasn't supposed to be funny."

"Oh." Elena's face dropped slightly as she realised that the eldest Salvatore was being serious. "Um...okay then." She began to fidget again. "Oops, um...heh...sorry."

Damon stared at her, his face unchanging. He made no sign of accepting her apology, instead sitting silently and scrutinising her. Elena felt herself go red for the third time that evening. She thought she had really offended him. Just as she was plucking up the courage to say something else, the vampire's face broke out into a wide grin and he burst out laughing. Elena's mouth fell open and she blinked a few times in surprise before realising what was going on. "You...you tricked me...I can't believe I fell for that."

"To be honest, I can't believe that you did either," Damon chuckled. "You're _sooo_ gullible."

With a huff of indignation, Elena yanked a pillow out from underneath her. She brandished it menacingly. "You are so dead, Salvatore."

He smirked. "Bring it on, Gilbert."

With almost inhuman speed, Elena jumped on him, furiously attacking him with her pillow. Damon yelped in surprise but soon gained the upper hand, flipping them over and pinning Elena to the sofa with his strength. He lowered his face to hers and smirked victoriously. "I win."

Elena pouted. "You used vampire strength! That's not fair!"

Damon shrugged. "I used my skills to my advantage. It's not my fault you're a weak, puny human."

Elena frowned. "Hey! You still cheated. From now on, no vampire skills."

A roll of the eyes was given as Damon sat up and raised his hands in surrender. "Okay _fine_, from now on, I will pretend to be a pathetic-"

The rest of his reply was cut off as a large pillow connected with his face. Elena giggled triumphantly, shoved him onto his back, and jumped off the sofa. As Damon looked up in surprise, she stuck her tongue out at him before tossing him another pillow, which he caught. Damon growled. "Oh you are _so _dead."

With that, he lunged off the sofa and tackled Elena, sending them both sprawling onto the ground. Damon recovered quickest and tossed his pillow aside, instead tickling Elena, who began to laugh uncontrollably. It was infectious, and soon both of them were in hysterics. "Stop, stop! Please," Elena begged, out of breath. As soon as Damon stilled his fingers, however, she began to pummel him with the pillow again. Somehow, they flipped over, and Elena ended up straddling Damon's hips with her face inches above his.

Realising how close they were to each other, Elena stopped hitting him with the pillow. Time seemed to stop as both of them leaned in even closer, their breath coming in short gasps. Elena's heart began to race as she stared at Damon's lips edging closer and closer to her own, just about to touch...

"Ahem."

The noise took them both completely by surprise. Elena jerked her head up and her eyes fell on the figure standing in the doorway, an inscrutable expression on his face. _Stefan_.

Elena leapt off the eldest Salvatore, looking sheepish. "Stefan...it's not what it looks like, I swear, we were just..." She tailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Don't lie to me Elena; you and I _both _know that it was _exactly _what it looked like." Stefan shook his head and sighed. "I warned you about him. I knew he would try to make a move on you eventually, I just didn't know that he'd use his _injury _to do it."

Elena gasped. "How can you say that? He's your _brother_, Stefan."

"Yeah, my brother who's trying to steal my girlfriend!" Stefan scoffed.

"How can you even say something like that? He wasn't trying to steal me."

Stefan gasped. "Why are you defending him?"

"Because he's your brother, Stefan, and just in case you'd forgotten, _he's going to die_!"

That shut Stefan up. Damon, who had up to now been standing quietly and watching the couple argue, shifted uncomfortably and coughed. "I'm gonna...um...go." He pointed at the door. Elena nodded and let him pass.

When he had gone, Elena sighed and raked a hand through her hair. "Look, Stefan, I understand that you're worried, but Damon and I are just friends. Back there, I...I wasn't thinking straight. You're my boyfriend Stefan. I love _you_."

"I understand, Elena, but I can't watch him act that way around you. He should know better and-"

A wave of Elena's hand cut him off. She sighed again. "I can't do this with you right now. Not when..." She shook herself. "I have to go, he needs me." She gently pushed past the youngest Salvatore and jogged up the stairs to Damon.

_She said she loves me_, Stefan thought to himself as he watched Elena and Damon banter on their way up the stairs. _Then why does it feel like I'm losing her to my brother? _But the sandy-haired vampire soon realised upon seeing the wide, bright smile on his brother's face and hearing Elena's carefree laughter; that he had already lost her.

**A/N: What did you think? Please leave a comment! Also, please check out my new story 'Right To Remain Silent'. It's an AU future fic, and is Delena as usual. The summary: **

**It's 2024, and the world has been aware of the supernatural for eleven years. Superintendent Damon Salvatore's world is turned upside down by a chance discovery that leaves him shocked, confused and head over heels in love...**

**Please read it and review it, and don't forget to leave a review for this. I am open to any suggestions/criticism, so don't be shy! R&R**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm back, sorry for the small delay. Just to let you know, I will mainly be working on this story and my future AU one, Right To Remain Silent (which I encourage you to check out if you already haven't). This means that my other two incomplete stories, Bad Blood and Holiday, are on a temporary hiatus. I apologise to anyone who was enjoying them. I will be continuing them, just at a later date. This chapter is set a week after the last one, and will probably be the last. I've lost some of my inspiration for this, and this seems like a natural ending for it. I apologise to anyone hoping for a longer story. However, there may be a sequel, if there is enough demand for one. So, on with the show! R&R**

The next week had been spent in idyllic bliss. Every day, Elena would go straight to the Boarding House after school and spend the whole evening with Damon doing anything they felt like; from playing board games or watching movies to just talking until the sun went down. Often, she would end up staying the night in one of the many spare rooms. Elena knew Jenna didn't like her staying away from home for so long, especially in the same house as Damon, whom she still didn't completely trust after the incident on the porch on Founder's Day, but she didn't care; all that mattered was spending as much time with her friend as possible. Damon's bite hadn't even been that bad lately, or if it had, he hadn't shown it. Truth be told, Elena had almost forgotten about it. Almost.

But as the weekend rolled around and the school week drew to a close, Damon took a turn for the worst. He began to hallucinate, often thinking he was in 1864 instead of 2011. Painful as it was, Elena found it oddly fascinating to watch Damon act as if he were in the 19th Century: polite, well-spoken and refined, even though his familiar sarcastic humour and sharp wit lurked beneath the surface. Thankfully, the illusions had not caused him to mistake her for Katherine. But Elena knew, with a heavy heart, that the worst was yet to come.

ooo

The doorbell of the Boarding House rang, echoing throughout the old house. Quick as a flash, Stefan answered it, some of the tension in his shoulders easing when he saw who it was. He quirked a half smile at the woman by the door. "Lucy, thank you for coming. Please," he gestured towards the foyer, "come in."

Smiling graciously at the youngest Salvatore, the dark-haired witch stepped into the dimly-lit hall, pulling off her grey coat and gently placing it on the dresser.

As soon as fabric touched wood, Stefan was speaking. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you, you see..."

A wave of the hand silenced him. "I know why your friend called me here, Stefan." Lucy smiled sadly. "However I fear I will be of little help to you."

Stefan hung his head. "I suspected as much." Remembering his manners, he shook himself. "But please, come and sit down. Do you have your grimoire?" Nodding at the ancient book the witch produced from her handbag, he continued, "Is there anything I can get you? A drink, perhaps? Or something to eat?"

Lucy inclined her head. "I had lunch before I came. But thank you." Following Stefan into the Boarding House living room, she raised an eyebrow at the decor. "I trust Katherine is still in the tomb."

Stefan nodded and opened his mouth to answer, but his reply was cut off by the entrance of a tall, sandy-haired man. The brown-haired vampire gestured towards him. "Lucy, this is Alaric Saltzman. He's the one who called you."

"Yes, I remember." Lucy chuckled shaking the history teacher's hand. "I was _most_ impressed. How did you manage to track me down?"

Alaric scratched the back of his head. "My, uh, my wife did a lot of research into the supernatural. And then she was working with Katherine, and Katherine was..._working_... with you, so I figured she must have your contact details somewhere."

The corner of Lucy's mouth twitched slightly. "Ah yes, I remember Isobel. Yet another Pierce woman attracted by the siren call of vampirism." She sighed. "Such a shame..." Suddenly remembering where she was, the witch abruptly cleared her throat. "So," she gestured to the sofa, "Shall we?"

ooo

Upstairs, the pair in Damon's room were oblivious to what was going on in the room below them. The bite had caused Damon many impairments, one of which being loss of his supernatural hearing. It was the only thing he had ever complained about, claiming it rendered him "as pathetic and helpless as a human."

The raven-haired vampire was currently lying sprawled out on his bed, a sheen of sweat covering his forehead. Elena lay beside him, occasionally dabbing at his head with a wet towel, and trying very hard not to cry. She could feel Damon slowly weakening next to her and knew, in the back of her mind, that her friend didn't have long left. A drying patch of blood stained the sheets next to them, coughed up by Damon in one of his latest fits. It broke Elena's heart seeing him so weak and defenceless. He was nothing like the cocky, overconfident vampire she had known for almost a year and it pained her to see someone so powerful reduced to a mess like this.

"This is even more pitiful than I thought," Damon commented hoarsely.

Elena dabbed his head again, willing the tears not to spill over her lashes. "There's still hope. Alaric called Lucy, the witch. She...she'll find something, I just know it."

Damon scoffed quietly. "There's no cure, remember." He sighed deeply. "I've made a lot of choices that have gotten me here. I deserve this. I deserve to die."

Elena sniffed loudly and latched on to Damon's cold, clammy hand. "No, you don't."

Damon nodded stubbornly. "I do, Elena. It's ok. 'Cause if I'd have chosen differently, I wouldn't have met you." He paused as a cough escaped his chapped lips. "I'm so sorry. I've done so many things to hurt you."

Elena swallowed the lump in her throat. "It's ok. I forgive you."

"Elena, it's time."

Elena shook her head. "No, it's not, there's still hope. I'm not giving up on you Damon, not now. You have to fight it. _Please_. For me."

She felt the rise and fall of his chest as he inhaled deeply. "I'll try." As Elena began to sigh with relief he continued, "Tell Vampire Barbie, I mean...Caroline...tell her it wasn't her fault. I know she'll blame herself and I just...tell her."

Elena nodded. "I will."

"And tell Stefan..." he sighed. "Tell him I'm sorry, and that I love him. I always loved him."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Elena nodded again. "I will."

"Good." Damon closed his eyes slightly. "Now tell me a story about yourself."

With a sigh, Elena settled down more comfortably beside him and began to tell a story about her parents, one that she had never shared with anyone before.

ooo

"What do you mean, there's nothing you can do?" Stefan was pacing angrily by the fireplace. "That can't be true." He stopped, fixing Lucy with a pleading gaze. "_Please_."

The dark-skinned witch shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry Stefan. I asked everyone I could think of and read every grimoire I could get my hands on. There is _no_ cure for a werewolf bite."

Alaric frowned at the dusty book in her hands. "Then why did you bother bringing that grimoire with you?"

"I did find something," Lucy shifted in her seat, opening the old tome to a bookmarked page. She pointed at a section of text with her finger and motioned for Stefan and Alaric to approach. As the brown haired men crowded around her she began to read. "There is a spell that I found in my great-aunt's grimoire. She was no Emily Bennet, but she helped many people in her time. Most of them are simple healing spells but this one," she tapped the page, "is more complex."

"What does it do?" Stefan queried.

"It prolongs life," Lucy responded. "Basically if someone is dying of an incurable disease a spell can be cast to increase the time they have left to live, so they can spend more time with their loved ones." She looked up at them. "You could have more time with Damon, if you wanted. The only drawback is that it can only be cast once."

"No."

Stefan look at Alaric, aghast. "No? What do you mean, _no_. She's offering us a chance to spend more time with Damon. Or don't you want that?"

Alaric shifted slightly. "Of course I do, but..."

Stefan's face darkened. "But what? What could you possibly have against this idea? In fact, why am I even asking you? He's _my _brother. You are nothing in this situation, _nothing_. You don't get to make decisions about _my _brother's life!" With a savage growl, the younger Salvatore grabbed the wooden coffee table next to him and hurled it across the room. Lucy shrieked and ducked below the back of the sofa she was sitting on.

Alaric tentatively made his way over to the fuming vampire's side. "Stefan, listen to me. Just think about what you would be agreeing to if you let Lucy cast this spell. You'd be giving Damon two months, maybe three, to keep living in pain and misery. He would still hallucinate; still forget who we all are. Surely you don't want him to keep suffering like that?"

Stefan crumpled slightly, dropping into an armchair in despair. "But...but...it would give him and Elena more time." He swallowed thickly. "To...be together."

The history teacher raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated the idea of them together."

Stefan sighed. "I tried to ignore it for so long, but I've seen the way they he looks at her when he think no one else is paying attention, and the way that Elena lights up whenever Damon was in the room. And deep down a part of me knew that if she gave in to her feelings for Damon, I would lose her forever. I guess somewhere along the way I decided that I was okay with that." He sighed again and stood up. "I understand why you don't want to do the spell. They're both in enough pain as it is; I couldn't bear to give them false hope." He turned to Lucy. "Thank you for your help."

The witch inclined her head, getting to her feet. "I'm just sorry I was of so little use to you." She motioned towards the door. "I'll see myself out."

The two men nodded as she left the living room. When they heard the click of the front door, Stefan started towards the stairs, but Alaric's firm hand on his arm stopped him. The vampire turned around quizzically. Alaric sighed. "Let them be together for at least a little while longer. Come on," he steered Stefan back towards the sofa. "I could really use a drink."

ooo

"That's a great story." Damon abruptly broke off mid-chuckle as his body began to convulse. Shaking, he leaned to the side as another fit of coughs racked his body. Whimpering slightly, Elena dabbed at his forehead with a damp towel. The raven haired vampire leaned into her touch gratefully. "I know you love Stefan," he began, "And it will always be Stefan." He paused as Elena moved to lie down beside him, abandoning the towel and clutching his hands instead. "But I love you. You should know that."

Elena closed her eyes as a tear tricked down her cheek. She swallowed thickly. "I do."

Damon smiled softly. "You should have met me in 1864. You would have liked me."

Turning to face him, Elena whispered. "I like you now. Just the way you are." Closing her eyes yet again, she leaned in and softly pressed her lips to Damon's. He tasted like sweat and the salt of her tears, but also like oranges and spice and bourbon and a scent so uniquely _Damon_ that it broke her already shattered heart into even smaller pieces.

As she pulled away, he smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you."

She nodded, nestling her head into the crook of his shoulder and sliding her eyes shut. "You're welcome."

Elena felt him smile against the top of her head, and then he took one last unneeded breath and was still. Her eyes flew open and she sat up. "No, no, no, no, _no_! Please, no!" Suddenly the dam broke and all the tears she had been holding back for the past week began to fall, as she frantically tried to shake Damon awake. "Wake up, Damon, please. Wake up! Wake up! _Wake up_!"

Footsteps sounded behind her as Stefan and Alaric rushed up the stairs, having heard her pained cries. Ignoring them completely, Elena flung herself on Damon's body, great sobs wracking her tiny frame. "Damon. Don't leave me. _Please_."

"Elena, you have to get off him," Stefan touched her shoulder gently, eyes glistening with tears.

The brunette flung his hand away. "No! I'm not leaving him. I'll _never _leave him."

Even Alaric was crying as Stefan tried again. "Elena, please." Sighing heavily, he reached out and picked her up, easily overpowering her with his supernatural strength.

Elena used all the strength she had left to protest, kicking and screaming as Stefan dragged her away from Damon's unmoving body. "No! _No_! Let me go! You have to let me go. I can't leave him," she sobbed. "I love him."

Tears began to flow freely down the youngest Salvatore's face as he set Elena down in Damon's armchair. "I know."

"I was ready to love him, and he died. He just died. I was ready." She looked up, eyes red and cheeks glistening. "It's not fair."

Stefan nodded. "I know."

And as the first drops of rain began to fall, a lone crow perched on a branch outside cawed shrilly and took flight.

**A/N: Ay caramba what is wrong with me? First my one-shot Guns and Horses, and now this. Excuse my ugly sobbing and please tell me what you thought. It's been a truly incredible ride, thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of my lovely reviewers, you have kept me going and made me smile with every message you sent. So what do you say, one last review? Just so I know this was all worthwhile. R&R**


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